GDT: PS #6 // Coyotes @ Oilers // Sept 27 @ 7 PM MST // Streaming

[Porkleaker]

And pre-season or not, Lucic has just as much to prove as all the rookies after his abysmal season last year

 

[Shathar]

If I thought praying would help Lucic, I would. Annnd now I'm out of ideas.

 

[Faelko]

McDavid is in mid season form

It seems like he’s hardly even trying at times, imagine when he kicks it up a notch...

 

[Laineux]

You guys noticed McDavid seems to be throwing his weight around more?

 

[Aerrol]

You guys noticed McDavid seems to be throwing his weight around more?

Definitely. Not big hits but he's muscling past people a lot more. He looks noticeably bigger too.

 

[The Safe Play]

Definitely. Not big hits but he's muscling past people a lot more. He looks noticeably bigger too.

I love it when McDavid gets frustrated and blows someone up. SJ in the playoffs is the best one I can remember.

Edit: Sorensen it was.

 

[Smartguy]

And pre-season or not, Lucic has just as much to prove as all the rookies after his abysmal season last year

This entire board has an over reaction to pre season, you know how many times during the decade of crap that we had a winning pre season team? A lot, The games mean NOTHING for any of the players outside of a few rookies. The fact a pre season thread has over 40 pages on a game tells you this city will riot if they start slow.

As for Lucic this isn’t his first year, I could care less if he even starts meh. If he’s there down the stretch like he was 2 years ago and a physical prescense that’s the best we can hope for

 

[Hockey Nightmare]

It gives me PTSD when I see a lack of scoring except for McDavid's line.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Draisaitl has 1 assist 0 goals and just 3 shots in 3 games. That’s on him. He needs to figure his own game out. 1 shot in every 17+ minutes of ice time isn’t going to lead to success.

He received 2 good passes last night. 1 was from McD on the PP. He had 1 legit pass that created an opportunity last night, from his line, all night. What kind of shots is Drai supposed to be getting? Should he be passing the puck back and forth to himself or just beating the trap all his own?

If the premium player on his line doesn't have any level of service the shots aren't going to come. The most suitable player Drai played with EV was Ethan Bear. About the only one even providing puck support.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

He received 2 good passes last night. 1 was from McD on the PP. He had 1 legit pass that created an opportunity last night, from his line, all night. What kind of shots is Drai supposed to be getting? Should he be passing the puck back and forth to himself or just beating the trap all his own?

If the premium player on his line doesn't have any level of service the shots aren't going to come. The most suitable player Drai played with EV was Ethan Bear. About the only one even providing puck support.

You think draisaitl has been good enough in pre season? Because he can apparently do no wrong in your eyes.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Guys its preseason, a lot of top veterans have bad preseasons, it means nothing. Its just about shaking off the rust and getting ready for games that actually mean something. The only big effort you want to see is from the young guys with a chip on their shoulder that have something to prove and are trying to get a job. There are 82 games, do you really want pro players going full tilt in preseason and risk getting hurt? Take a breath.

 

[Drivesaitl]

You think draisaitl has been good enough in pre season? Because he can apparently do no wrong in your eyes.

Good enough? No, obviously not. It would take god mode to try to get something done playing on that line.

Drai can do no wrong? It was me SAYING Drai will fallback to a 60something pt season this year. This is what I forecast. This is going to be a struggle for him this year, and primarity due to the composition of the team and especially if the Oilers don`t land on a Draisaitl-Rieder pairing which they should.

Schemes are adjusting to Drai play. He was getting very little time and space last night. Constantly harassed the moment he touched the puck. On his line he was getting the brunt of the coverage, of course. Every Center needs at least one winger to be able to play off of. Drai didn`t have that.

If Drai has Rieder for a few games running and still nothing happens then its Drai`s fault.

I don`t fault him for not being able to establish with two players that I knew wouldn`t be helpful.

 

[GodPucker]

Who was the loser who purposely cross checked rattie into the boards on that last play? Man I wished somebody punched his teeth in.

To top it off, the rejects in stripes did not even call that a penalty.

 

[Digger12]

Who was the loser who purposely cross checked rattie into the boards on that last play? Man I wished somebody punched his teeth in.

To top it off, the rejects in stripes did not even call that a penalty.

I suspect it was either Perlini, Cousins or Connauton as those were the guys on the ice for the majority of Rattie's shift in OT...and given how much he had been running around being a jackass for much of the game, my money's on Cousins.

 

[GodPucker]

You could see him give Rattie an extra shot that really threw him into the boards.

 

[Dashh]

Drai is going to get exposed this year if he doesn't play much with mcdcvid.
That being said, i still think he should be playing with Reider.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I suspect it was either Perlini, Cousins or Connauton as those were the guys on the ice for the majority of Rattie's shift in OT...and given how much he had been running around being a jackass for much of the game, my money's on Cousins.

RNH was getting it too. This is one of the specific problems of no longer having a Maroon on the topline. Maroon was so invaluable in that way. Not only somebody that can play and support a top line but somebody that had players backs.

As good as the topline looks right now, and even if they score some more goals, theres some drawbacks too.

 

[Aerrol]

RNH was getting it too. This is one of the specific problems of no longer having a Maroon on the topline. Maroon was so invaluable in that way. Not only somebody that can play and support a top line but somebody that had players backs.

As good as the topline looks right now, and even if they score some more goals, theres some drawbacks too.

Also probably part of why the coaching staff is obsessed with getting Lucic going again. To try and have that toughness in the top 6.

 

[Tyrolean]

Also probably part of why the coaching staff is obsessed with getting Lucic going again. To try and have that toughness in the top 6.

That would be the downfall of the season if they did that.

 

[GodPucker]

I remember RNH cross checking a guy and being pi**ed off 2 times that game. Somebody was giving it to him good.

 

[McJC]

Just like how Rattie won't score 144 goals, Draisaitl won't score only 27 points. Preseason folks.

 

[Aerrol]

That would be the downfall of the season if they did that.

I mean, it was a big part of last season too... Hopefully the new assistants will talk some sense into Todd.

 

[Porkleaker]

This entire board has an over reaction to pre season, you know how many times during the decade of crap that we had a winning pre season team? A lot, The games mean NOTHING for any of the players outside of a few rookies. The fact a pre season thread has over 40 pages on a game tells you this city will riot if they start slow.

As for Lucic this isn’t his first year, I could care less if he even starts meh. If he’s there down the stretch like he was 2 years ago and a physical prescense that’s the best we can hope for

He's just not top 6 material though. I'm not sure if it's Chia or Todd who has a massive crush on him but they're putting him in positions where other players could succeed just praying that he does enough to live up to even 1/10th of his contract. We saw it last season where he was gifted top line McDavid mins to try and get him out of his slump, they continue to give him PP mins despite the fact that he's just too slow and avoids getting into the dirty areas where he belongs, then that game last season where McDavid was getting manhandled after the whistle and neither him or Kassian did a thing. He was floating around coughing up pucks and not even hitting anyone. I'll give him a chance but I have a feeling he's going to be more of a detriment than anything.

 

[Porkleaker]

RNH was getting it too. This is one of the specific problems of no longer having a Maroon on the topline. Maroon was so invaluable in that way. Not only somebody that can play and support a top line but somebody that had players backs.

As good as the topline looks right now, and even if they score some more goals, theres some drawbacks too.

Right? Last season, that was the one thing that pissed me off the most was the one game - forget who they were even playing but McDavid was getting manhandled and I know it was Kassian that just skated back to the bench mouthing something like "I don't give a f***".............Nobody intervened, why didn't Lucic or someone send a message immediately after? idk, just play with some f***ing heart and I'll have some more respect for him. As for Kassian I think he's outlived his career here.

 

[The Nuge]

It gives me PTSD when I see a lack of scoring except for McDavid's line.

It’s all good. When Rattie continues his pace and puts up 144-82-226, and breaks Gretzky’s records, we won’t even need a second line